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. 2024 May 22;16(20):26142-26152.
doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c02451. Epub 2024 May 8.

A Semi-Interpenetrating Network Sorbent of Superior Efficiency for Atmospheric Water Harvesting and Solar-Regenerated Release

Samar N Abd Elwadood  1   2 , Andreia S F Farinha  3 , Yasser Al Wahedi  4 , Ali Al Alili  5 , Geert-Jan Witkamp  3 , Ludovic F Dumée  1   6   7 , Georgios N Karanikolos  8   9
Affiliations

A Semi-Interpenetrating Network Sorbent of Superior Efficiency for Atmospheric Water Harvesting and Solar-Regenerated Release

Samar N Abd Elwadood et al. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. .

Abstract

Water is readily available nearly anywhere as vapor. Thus, atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technologies are seen as a promising solution to support sustainable water production. This work reports a novel semi-interpenetrating network, which integrates poly(pyrrole) doped with a hygroscopic salt and 2D graphene-based nanosheets optimally assembled within an alginate matrix, capable of harvesting water from the atmosphere with a record intake of up to 7.15 gw/gs. Owing to the incorporated graphene nanosheets, natural sunlight was solely used to enable desorption, achieving an increase of the temperature of the developed network of up to 71 °C within 20 min, resulting in a water yield of 3.36 L/kgS in each cycle with quality well within the World Health Organization standard ranges. Notably, after 30 cycles of sorption and desorption, the composite hydrogel displayed unchanged water uptake and stability. This study demonstrates that atmospheric water vapor as a complementary source of water can be harvested sustainably and effectively at a minimal cost and without external energy input.

Keywords: alginate hybridization; hygroscopic hydrogels; moisture sorption; photothermal harvester; water harvesting.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Schematic of step-by-step preparation of BAGY via gelation of alginate, GO, and PPyCl by saturated CaCl2 and LiCl solutions, including a schematic of the inner structure of the obtained BAGY, SEM image of (b) the morphology of PPyCl’s surface, and (c) the inner structure of the synthesized BAGY.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Raman spectra of GO, PPyCl, and BAGY, (b) UV–vis–NIR absorption spectra of PPyCl and alginate cross-linked composites, (c) storage and loss modulus of composites, (d) water vapor sorption isotherms of PPyCl, BAG, and BAGY at 23 °C, (e) isosteric heat of water vapor sorption on BAGY, and (f) water uptake kinetics for BAGY at 10, 40, and 70% RH under N2 environment at 23 °C and water release kinetics at 0% RH and 60, 70, and 80 °C.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Indoor water harvesting experiment based on a lab-made prototype showing the weight change of BAGY and collected water from experiment and ambient conditions, (b) the weight change of sample and collected water from outdoor experiment and ambient conditions.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(a) Quality of water collected from the outdoor tests using ICP-OES and TOC analyses compared with deionized water (DI) and World Health Organization (WHO), (b) cyclability upon water sorbing-regeneration of BAGY, and (c) cyclic stability of BAGY under atmospheric air.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison of top-performing AWH materials based on water uptake and desorption temperature at (a) 30% RH, (b) 60% RH, and (c) 90% RH.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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